Mail-bag catching and delivering mechanism.



. PA'IBNTED $311.24; 1905. w. T; 11001;, I MAIL BAG GATGHING AND DELIVERING MECHANISM;

APPLIOATION FILED J-ULY 31.1905.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

witnesses no; 818,470. 'PATENTED APR. 24,}906.

'W, -T. BOOK. MAIL BAG GATGHIN-G AND DELIVERING MECHANISM.

uruoynon 17mm: JULY 31.1906.

3 sums-sum 2.

4 Zluvanloz PATENTED APR. 24, lQDfi.

w. T. ROOK. MAIL BAG OATGHING AND DELIVERING MECHANISM.

APPLIOATION FILED -JULY 31 1905.

3 SHEETSSHEET 3 UNITED STATES, IETENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM T ROOK, CHEYENNE, OKLAHOMA TERRITORY.

MAIL-BAG CATCHING AND DELIVERING NIEGHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 24, 1906.

Application filed July 31, 1905. Serial No. 272,105-

To all] whom, 236 may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM T. Boon, a citizen of theUnited States, residing at Cheyenne, in the county of Roger Mills, Oklahoma Territory, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mail Ba Catching and Delivering Mechanisms, of which the fol lowing is a specification.

This invention embodies novel mechanism for catching and delivering mail-bags, and includes combined means carried both by rolling-stock and by a stationary support at one side of the track over which such rolling-stock passes for catching the mail-bags and simultaneously delivering the bags to the train as it is in motion.

The essential feature of the invention. resides in the special means employed for delivering the bags to the car, such mechanism being adapted to automatically receive the bag from the stationary support or deliverer at one side of the track and carry the load into the body of the car convenient for removal of the contents thereof by those han-. dling the mail.

For a full description of the invention and the merit-s thereof and also to acquire a knowledge of the details of construction of the means for effecting the result reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view showing a car and a stationary support embodying the mechanism constituting this invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation illustrating a car approaching the stationary deliverer and catcher, showing the bag-holders preparatory to being delivered to and removed from the stationarydeliverer and catcher. Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2, the bag-holder supported by the car in Fig. 2 having been delivered to the stationary catchen and deliverer and the other bag-holder su ported by the stationary deliverer and cat-c er in F ig. 2 being shown caught by the mechanism on the car. Fig. a: is a transverse section of the car, broken away, showing more clearlythe form of the movable support carried thereby and designed to catch and deliver the mail-bag. Fig. 5 is a top plan view showing the car broken away and bringing out more clearly the arrangement of the parts of the extensible or movable support carried by the car. Fi 6 is a perspective view of one of the bagho ders. Fig. 7 is a vertical section of the stationary deliverer and catcher.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in thefollowing description and indicated in all the views of the drawings by the. same reference characters.

Referring to the drawings and specifically describing the invention, the numeral 1 des ignates a car, which may be the customary mail-car, and said car has mountedthere ona movable or extensible sup ort, which'consists of an inclined rail 2, which ma be of a length nearly equal to the width 0 the car, and this inclined rail is provided at its outer end, exterior of the car 1, with a vertical standard 3. The vertical standard 3 is formed at its upper'end with lateral-ly-projecting arms 4, one extending forwardly and one rearwardlylongitudinally of said car. The arms 4 are adapted to support a bag-holder when the car is moving in either direction preparatory to delivery of such holder to the stationary catcher located at one side of the end of the rail 2 is curved u wardly, as shown at 7, and is formed with a oop 8, receiving a transverse supporting-bar 9, the ends of which are suitably attached to the sides of the car interior of the latter. The member 8 affords a sliding connection between the rail 2 and the bar 9, and said bar'Q virtually forms a track upon which the member 8 is adapted to slide as the rail 2 is, projected wholly into and extended out of the car in actual conditions of service. rail 2 assumes an approximately horizontal position as the bar 9 is curved downwardly near one end, as shown at 10, the downwardly-curved portion 10 being adapted by engagement with the member 8 of the rail 2 to firmly hold said rail projected from the car, as shown in Figs-1 and 4, and inclined from the horizontal. When the rail 2 is pulled inwardly into the car, as shown in dotted'lines in Fig. 4, the member 8 thereof rides up the curved'portion 10 of the bar 9, and this raises the rail to the horizontal position before mentioned. The movable support, which includes the rail 2 and thecatching and delivering arms 4, is braced also by When arranged in the car, the

means or a connection 1 1, one end of which is connecthd with the ripper end of the standard 3, the opposite end having a slidable con Erection with the bar 9. The connection 11 coasts with the bracesfiandthe member 8 to rigidly hold the rail 2 in the inclined position shown in Fig. 4 preparatory to delivering or catching a mail-bag while the ,car is in ,motion.

1 As is customary in devices of the type described herein, a stationary catcher and deliverer is located at one side of the track over which the rolling-stock passes, and in this instance this means consists of the stationary supporting-post 12, having a vertically-adjustable section 13 and an adjusting-screw 14 to hold said section 413 at a suitable vertical adjustment to enable the catching and delivering arms 15 thereof to be properly placed in operating to deliver or catch the mail-holder supported on cars of different sizes.

The catching and. delivering supports located on the car and at the side of the track are adapted to cooperate with a special form of mail-holder wh ch directly supports the mail-bag. The mail-bag holder is indicated at 16 and consists of a trolley embodying a a suitable frame, at the upper portion of which being delivered to the car by being caught by the mechanism carried by said car. Spaced guide-arms 20 project laterally from the frame of the mail-bag holder 1.6, and these gii'ide arms diverge toward their outer eX- tremities, the.space between said arms leading to the space below the trolley-wheel 17 of the holder. An automaticallyoperating latch 21 is pivoted to the outer extremity of the upper of the arms 20, as shown at 22, and the lower end of said-latch is limited in its outward movement by the stop 23 at the outer extremity of the lower arm 20, said step consisting of the integral extension of said arm. When the mail-bag holder 16 is supported by the delivery mechanism on the car, the trolley-wheel 17 forms the connecting means for holding the holder 16 in position, and for this purpose said trolley-Wheel is formed with a lateralopening 24 adjacent its periphery, said opening being adapted to receive either of the arms 4 when the holder is supported thereby.

Referring to Figs. 2 and 3, the car is shown appmaching from the direction of the arrow,

the catching and delivering'mechanism of said car being in operative position, such as shown in F10. 5, the bag-holder 16 being supported by the arm 4, which is remote from the stationary catcher and deliverer with. re-

the stationary catcher and deliverer the nearer arm 15 thereof, passing through the member 18 of the bag-holder 16 of the car, disengages'said bag-holder from the arm 4, supporting the same, and the mail-bag and holder 16 are delivered to said arm 15 of the station ary catcher. Meanwhile the car as it progresses has carried the inclined rail 2 to the inail-bag holder 16, which is supported on the remote arm of the stationary catcher and de liverer, and said rail 2 forced between thi guide-arms 20 of the said mail-bag holder 16 tripping the latch 21 thereof. The member: 20 guide the rail 2 and thii trolley-wheel 17 and as the rail 2 forces the bag-holder off 01 the arm 15 supporting the same, the holder is thrown upon the rail 2, and the trolley-wheel 17 engages said rail, so that the bag-holder will travel down the rail 2 to the interior of the car. When said holder 16 has been delivered to the car, as above described, the rail 2 and the movable support of which it forms a part may be pulled inwardly into the car by means of a suitable operating-rod (not shown) or any other means, and said rail 2 y will assume a horizontal position and permit the bag-holder 16 to be moved therealong or to be entirely removed therefrom, according to the desire of the operators in the car. In

.the actuation of the rail 2 engaging the bagholder 16 as the latter is delivered to the car the latch 21 as soon as the rail engages the trolley-wheel 17 falls back by gravity against the stop 23 and prevents the jar or vibration in the delivering operation from jarring the trolley or bag-holder 16 from the track-rail 2.

It is contemplated that the catching and delivering mechanism. of the car shall comprise two of the movable supports shown in the drawings, so that the rails 2 may be projected from either side of the car under actual conditions of service.

; It is designdthat each of the arms 4 may be provided with a spring attached thereto in any substantial way so as to pass through the opening in the wheel 17 when the holder 16 is dis osed upon one of the arms, The spring W1 1 so engage the holder as to hold the same properly in place.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is 1. In combination, a car, a mail-catcher including a mail-receiving support mounted on the car and inclining upwardly from a point interior of the car to a point exterior thereof, and a bag-holder-to be received upon the inclined support and to gravitate into the car thereon. v X

2. In combination with a car, a mail-bag catcher carried bythe car and embo'dying'an inclined rail, and a bag-holder consisting of a trolley adapted to be received on the inclined rail and to travel into the car thereon.

'3. In combination with a car,'a mail-bag catcher carried by the car and embodying an inclined rail, and a bag-holder consisting of a trolley adapted to be received on the inclined rail and to automatically travel into the'car thereon. I

4. In combinationvwith a car, a mail-bag,

' travel thereon, and means carried by the trolley for reventing accidental displacement thereo after it is delivered tothe rail. 6. In combination with a car, a mail-bag catcher embodying a rail supported by the car, a. mail-bag holder to be caught by'said rail and embodying a trolley adapted to travel thereon, and an automatically-opw erated latch for preventing displacement of the trolley or bag-holder from the rail afterit has been delivered thereto.

7. In combination with a car, a. catcher arm mounted thereon and embodying an inclined rail, a mail-bag holder consisting of a trolley automaticallyoperating device carried by the'trolley for placement there to the rail.

movable rail adapted to be projected from clined in position when so projected, and a mail-bag holder embodying a trolley to be delivered to; the rail to travel into the carthereon'.

supporting-rail, a mail-bag holder consistlng travel thereon into t mail-bag holder thereof from the can.

10. Incombination with catcher thereon embodying a support ng-rail,

trolley adapted-to be caught by the rail aforeby said trolley whereby the same may be supportedupon the supporting member aforesaid vpreparatory'to delivery thereof from thecar.

in presence of two witnesses.

- 7 -WILLIAM T: BOOK. [L.JS.]

' Witnesses:

,JOHN KyREED, JUSTUS A. BRowN.

preventing accidental dis;

0 after it has'been delivered I '45 8. In combination with a car; a movable support' mounted thereon and including a.-

9. In combination with a car, a'mail-bag catcher mounted thereon and embodying a of a trolley tube can ht bysaid rail and to;

he car, and a trolley- Wheel forthe trolley adapted to support the preparatory to delivery a car, a mail-bag 4o to be delivered to the inclined rail, and an the car and upwardly and outwardly in-- a mail-'ba -supporting'member independent of said rai a mail-bag holder consisting of a- 6 5 said and to travel thereon, and means carried I 7 In testimony whereof I affix my signature 

